PORT OF LOS ANGELES COMMUNICATIONS INITIATIVE EARNS TOP HONORS FROM AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF PORT AUTHORITIES (AAPA)
Port Wins Prestigious Dan Maynard Communications Award for Overall Excellence; Honored with 21 Other Awards
SAN PEDRO, Calif. — November 4, 2015 — The American Association of Port Authorities (AAPA) has awarded the Port of Los Angeles the association’s top communications competition prize, the Dan Maynard Communications Award for Overall Excellence. The Port also earned 21 additional awards as part of the AAPA’s 48th annual Communications Awards Program, which received a total of 126 competition entries from 28 ports around the country.
“Earning AAPA’s top award this year is testament to the hard work and professionalism of our communications team, and to their continual pursuit of excellence and innovation in everything they do,” said Doane Liu, deputy executive director and chief of staff at the Port of Los Angeles. “Their efforts are key to keeping the Port of Los Angeles connected to our community and industry stakeholders.”
The Dan Maynard award is given to the port with the highest-scoring single entry regardless of category. Earning a nearly perfect score in the Special Events competition category this year – and the highest overall of any submission – was the Port of Los Angeles’ Lunar New Year Festival. This first-time event was created to honor Los Angeles’ many cultures and the Port’s primary trade partners abroad. Attracting more than 3,000 visitors to the LA Waterfront, the festival was applauded by a judging panel from the Public Relations Society of America’s National Chapter for its “creative thinking,” “fabulous planning and execution,” and success in bringing together diverse segments of the greater LA community.
The Port of Los Angeles was also recognized with six additional AAPA Awards of Excellence, six Awards of Distinction and nine Awards of Merit. The Port’s Awards of Excellence included:
- STEM Funshop – This first-time event was organized to educate youth about the Port and maritime-industry careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in an age-appropriate, positive and stimulating way. The event attracted more than 1,000 participants, double the expected number.
- Think Watershed Field Trips – These hands-on, science-based boat field trips were created by the Port to teach fourth through seventh grade students about the importance of environmental stewardship and sustainability in the maritime environment. The program reaches up to 15 schools (30 classes) and 900 students per year.
- Tall Ships Festival LA 2014 – Featuring ten tall ships and Dutch artist Florentijn Hofman’s giant Rubber Duck, the festival and its “parade of sails” attracted more than 277,000 visitors to the LA Waterfront over a five-day period last August and generated an estimated $8.2 million in local spending.
- America’s Port® Video – This marketing video highlights L.A.’s position as the busiest container port in the Western Hemisphere and as a global model for sustainability, security and social responsibility. Translated into five languages, the video emphasizes the key advantages of doing business with the Port of Los Angeles.
- School Boat Tour - Hosting more than 10,000 students last year, the Port’s free educational boat tour program for students 4th grade and above provides students with an up-front perspective and in-depth look at the Port’s daily operations and the global maritime industry.
- LAtitude - This high-quality, multi-media e-news magazine shares informative stories about business trends at the Port and how the Port works with its customers, cargo owners and the industry at large to create win-win opportunities.
The Dan Maynard Communications Award for Overall Excellence trophy was awarded to the Port of Los Angeles during an awards luncheon on Nov. 4, 2015 at AAPA’s annual convention in Miami.
The annual AAPA Communications Awards Program has recognized excellence in port communications since 1966. The award competition includes 15 entry classifications, ranging from advertisements, to videos and magazines, to social media programs. Entries are judged by an independent panel of experienced communications professionals from the Public Relations Society of America’s (PRSA) National Chapter in Washington, DC.